Inside Gavriel’s bedchamber, the walls felt like they were closing in on Althea. She sank onto the edge of the bed, her hands trembling as she clutched the sheets. Her chest heaved, each breath uneven, as the weight of everything pressed down on her.

She had forced herself to stay cold, to show nothing when Melva was beaten and dragged away. She had kept her face blank, her eyes empty because she wouldn’t give in to what the Queen Mother and Lady Ava wanted. They were waiting, circling her ...